


Second Chance

by AllTheLokisWelcome7



Category: Dragon Quest XI
Genre: A Little Nudge, Act 2 Spoilers, Act 3 spoilers, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Healing, M/M, Postgame Spoilers, memory bleed, postgame
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2020-05-31 05:26:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19419373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AllTheLokisWelcome7/pseuds/AllTheLokisWelcome7
Summary: El has travelled back to bring a more vibrant light to Erdrea. He wants to heal the world from unimaginable pains, even if that means only helping one person at a time. Choosing to help Erik first might be more personal than he first realised.





	Second Chance

**Author's Note:**

> Yesterday, one of the guards in Heliodor Castle told me that saying goodbye felt familiar, and I wrote this. Having finished the postgame today, Erik said much the same, which only solidified my theory that the memory bleed affects more people than just El.

El had saved the world twice; once after the fall of Yggdrasil, and now once before it. The first thing he did was go to Sniflheim, where Erik had found the courage to ask for his aid. Mia was free now, and El turned to leave them to reminisce.

“Wait!”

Erik grabbed onto El's sleeve, a desperation in his eyes that El had seen only once before.

“This isn't goodbye. Not by a long shot!”

El startled slightly, unable to keep the shock and hurt from his face. The Erik of this time should never have needed to say those words.

“Why... would you say that...?”

Erik dropped his arm then, equally startled, his jaw slack.

“I...” he whispered, harshly dabbing at his eyes with his sleeve. When was the last time he had cried, tears either unbidden or accepted? “I don't know. Suddenly, I just felt like... like I'd lose you.”

_Like you were about to just step out of my life._

Briefly wondering if his choice had been the wrong one after all, El shook his head slowly and set a warm smile on his face, pulling Erik into his arms. He held him firmly, offering comfort with the chance to escape, but Erik only held on tighter. A strangled sob found its end in El's shoulder, and anxious fingers dug into his back through the thick fabric.

Two watchful blue eyes set in a young face stared up at them from the floor where Mia sat with her legs crossed. Her mouth was pulled tight with worry, but the soft glimmer in her gaze as it locked onto the brunet's belied her gratitude. In his own was a steady relief, and hope; hope that Erik could learn to be more comfortable and open, now that everyone was much safer.

Finally, Erik pulled away, cheeks damp but with an embarrassed grin tugging at his lips. He stuck his hands into the plackets of his tunic just below his hips, but whether it was from habit or to warm them, El couldn't tell.

“Uh. Thanks. I just...”

The pause dragged on for too long, Erik losing the words on his tongue. From the way he glanced about, eyes never resting on one place for too long, El knew that it was time to step in.

“It's okay. I was only going to give you two some privacy, but I can stay if you'd like.”

Ready to shrug it off but deciding against it, Erik's gaze finally landed on his own, gratitude softening the tension in his shoulders.

“Oh, stop making eyes at your boyfriend and just let him stay!”

Erik's eyes grew as wide as a bottle of sage's elixir in his panic, more white than blue as he turned on his heel to scold her. El failed to disguise a giggle as a cough.

“He's not my boyfriend, Mia!”

Heat harsher than the icy winds outside seared his face, the deep flush creeping up his neck and ears. Mia stopped laughing along with El quickly, her stare strangely serious as she studied his face. Initially, she had only been playing, but with this reaction...

“But you want him to be.”

Her voice was so quiet that El almost missed it over the soft howling of the wind at the open entrance of the tunnel. What he caught immediately was the way Erik's exposed fingertips curled into his palms, the slight tremor that ran through his arms, and the way he hunched in on himself slightly, braced for a blow that he couldn't afford to take. It broke his heart to see him so vulnerable.

Had Erik still held feelings for him even at this time? For so long now, there had never been an appropriate time to tell him how he felt. Then, in the end, he had barely a moment to reveal it.

_When Erik blocked his path to the time sphere, arm defiant even as he failed to meet El's gaze, everything fell into place._

_Erik felt the same._

_El held his hands then, finally able to catch his gaze with tears in his own eyes, and leaned in to kiss him. Erik twisted a hand free, gripping the front of his duster with white knuckles as he returned it so desperately, tears cascading freely down his cheeks._

_Somehow, that short, needy kiss encompassed their entire journey. All of the loss, pain, heartache, fear, desire, and adrenaline packed into a moment that was all too brief._

El hoped that the connection was enough closure for that Erik.

Perhaps this was a part of the future that he could change. Maybe, just maybe, this was their second chance at happiness.

“I'm happy to try, if you want to, Erik.”

The other turned back to him, movements jarring with their speed and tension. The expression he wore almost broke El's heart anew. Every emotion he had ever felt was etched into the creases in his face, from disbelief, to hope, to fear.

“Did... Did I hear that right?” Erik let out a bitter, disbelieving laugh, running his hand anxiously through his hair. “Did I hit my head or something? This can't be real...”

“Erik, you dingus!” Mia almost yelled, surging to her feet and stomping over to him. She grabbed his elbow and swept her free arm broadly towards the Luminary. “Everything you've ever wanted is standing right there in front of you, and you're gonna let this opportunity pass you by? Get a grip!”

That seemed to do the trick. Erik inhaled a laboured breath, blinking as though he were seeing for the first time, and took an unsteady step forward. One hand stayed in his hair, the other falling to his hip habitually. A shy smile worked its way up his cheeks.

“So, uh. You like me, huh? Can't say I blame you. I look great, after all.”

His smile grew more confident as El giggled.

“And... yeah, if you're serious, that sounds nice.”

El extended his hand towards him, eyebrows slightly furrowed with his seriousness. An unwavering smile nearly dazzled Erik.

“I meant every word.”

Erik strode the last few steps forward to slide his hand into his, happiness spreading from their joined palms to his heart.

“One last thing. When did you know you felt that way?”

El's free hand rose towards his own face, finger pressing lightly against his chin as he considered it.

“I would say that Gondolia was the most intense fear I've ever felt. But, I think I truly realised it when-”

He stopped himself. How could he talk about a future that never came to pass? How could he tell Erik about the way his heart broke in two at the sight of him without most of his personality?

“When I fell from the cliff with Jade. She really helped me understand that what I was feeling was different, down in that cabin.”

Erik swallowed. “So... A couple of months?”

For El, it had been a lifetime now, but he nodded dutifully. “A couple of months.”

“That's, uh. Cool.” Erik chuckled, his free hand toying with an end of his sash. “For me, it was from day one. When I showed you my face, I was kinda hoping you'd fall for me right away.”

His grin was wistful, eyes fond and as distant as the memory.

“Then when I found you at the bottom of that cliff, unconscious but still breathing, I knew that no matter what, I had to protect you. Maybe wisen you up to the world a bit.”

They laughed, their grip on each other's hand tightening slightly. Mia watched them silently, the small twist of jealousy in her heart quickly being overwhelmed by adoration.

_Trust my goofy brother to fall for the guy who is supposedly 'too cute in his sleep'._

Her grin was fierce and warm as she crossed her arms. She'd let them have their moment for now. After all, it looked like they had more to catch up on than the few minutes she was consciously apart from Erik. She would listen to his stories when he was ready to tell them, but for now, she could bask in this warmth that they shared.

_So this is a family, huh? You did good, Erik. You did real good._


End file.
